Lehman Roofing - growing daily!

Todd Lehman says he has never considered himself a risk-taker. But the 36 year old saw an opportunity and he had the resources. “I actually would have been stupid had I not done this.”

What Lehman did was start his own commercial roofing business after eight years managing the roofing division for Industrial Contractors. “I knew there was a demand – all I needed was the confidence.”

Lehman gained confidence by seeking counseling from the SBDC. “I was trying to keep things quiet, but I had to put together a business plan with financial projections and a cash flow and I needed help. I knew the SBDC kept everything confidential. Pete Sabella was very helpful in putting that together.”

“Todd has competence in the profession” said Sabella. “He has the ability to work well with past clients who can turn into future clients.”

Lehman earned a degree in Construction Management from Purdue University. As manager at Industrial Contractors, Lehman more than doubled the size of the roofing division. In fact, roofing runs in the family. Todd’s father was head of roofing at Industrial Contractors for more than 40 years. Three brothers and a nephew are also roofers. Today, they are all working with Todd. “Ever since the day I left my job at Industrial, I’ve been very excited. Nervous, of course, but it is fun and exciting. I’m trying to grow and put things together.”

Lehman says the business is going exactly how he had hoped it would, perhaps even a little better. “We’re very close to what we projected. Pete explained what the bank was looking for and he explained that we needed to be realistic.”

“Todd has an entrepreneurial attitude” said Sabella. “He is aggressive and he is willing to take the risk.”

Lehman Roofing is quickly growing with a five person crew and three office workers. In order to meet continued demand, Lehman says he will soon add another four person crew. The only problem now is Todd may soon run out of roofing relatives!